Inequality

[mari ajam]

Hello
What age should be considered in order to calculate the number of children and the number of adults each household? Is there a single criterion in this field? (To calculate the equivalent scale)

[FernandoRios]

Hi Mari
The age threshold varies from study to study. I often use anyone 17 and under count children, but for work i had to use 15 and 18.
The best suggestion here is take couple of papers that talk about Eq scales, or to an official report for the country you are working with. And start from there.
HTH
Fernando

[Marcos Almeida]

To start, the best approach is to follow the literature of your field (for example, in pediatrics, you may follow the guidelines of a benchmark pediatric society). Second, if you wish to emulate a paper, you just follow the same grouping strategy. Third, in case you need a "general" approach,
the World Health Organization is a sound starting point.

Here, you have a definition to take into consideration:

Age groups and populations


The following definitions for adults, adolescents, children and infants are used to ensure consistency within these consolidated guidelines, as well as with other WHO guidelines. It is recognized that other agencies may use different definitions.

An adult is a person older than 19 years of age unless national law defines a person as being an adult at an earlier age.

An adolescent is a person aged 10 to 19 years inclusive.

A child is a person 19 years or younger unless national law defines a person to be an adult at an earlier age. However, in these guidelines when a person falls into the 10 to 19 age category they are referred to as an adolescent (see adolescent definition).

An infant is a child younger than one year of age.